


Cold Open

by stopmopingstarthoping



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hospital, Gen, Major Character Injury, Rating May Change
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-15
Updated: 2018-05-15
Packaged: 2019-05-07 02:26:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14661420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stopmopingstarthoping/pseuds/stopmopingstarthoping
Summary: Dr. Ignis Scientia remains unconscious, and the nurses and hospital staff at Lucis General go about their daily tasks while expressing concern for him.





	Cold Open

Luna dragged Ravus by the elbow into a discreet corner.  Her mouth was set in a firm line and she was seething, but her steps were smooth. She grabbed him by the coat and leaned her face close to his. Angry whispers floated down the hall.

“Unacceptable… you will not embarrass me…  I know where you did your residency and I know damn well they taught you to treat staff like _people_ … do you hear me?”

He endured her tirade in silence, nodded, murmured a quiet response. She smiled and hugged him, but her eyes -and eyebrows - admonished him again as they departed.

From the nurses’ station, Aranea gasped.  “Who is _that_ _?_ ”

Noctis chimed in, without turning around in his chair. “That's our new Dr. Nox Fleuret. Visiting from Tenebrae Mercy. Filling in for Dr. Scientia, temporarily.”

Aranea nodded, quietly acknowledging their collective worry for the injured physician, before returning to the topic.

“So that's her -”

“Brother, yeah.” Noctis sipped absently at a now-cold coffee and made a face.

Aranea punched Nyx’s shoulder. “ _Unfair_. Too much hotness in one family.”  She whined and scuffed a foot.

Nyx chuckled and shook his head at her. “I'm headed outside. You coming?”

She nodded.  “Where would I be without my daily dose of secondhand smoke?

Noct?”

He looked at the clock, shrugged. With an air of mock persecution, he sighed. “You don't love me, you love my endless supply of gossip. Let's go.”

Prompto caught them as they headed out the door, and they headed out as a group of four, though Nyx was the only one who lit up.

Aranea rolled her eyes, resisted lecturing him, and slung herself along a bench. Prompto plopped down next to her, as Noctis leaned on the half wall barrier to the parking lot.

“How’s the new guy working out, Aranea?” Blonde eyebrows quirked in her direction.

“He's good. Pretty quiet. He's older, but this is his second career. Ex-military.”

Nyx perked up. “You know where he served? What’s his name again?”

Aranea flicked a leaf off the bench. “No, but I can ask. Cor Leonis. You should just come get lunch with us sometime. Let me know when your schedule works out.”

Nyx nodded, searching his memory to see if the name sounded familiar. Aranea continued.

“He's quiet, but nice. Pretty calming with the patients. Gets along good with Clarus.”

“Is he an MD?”

“Nah, a PT. Went back to school and everything though, when he could have just retired from the military. He had enough years in. Says he wanted to help people, and I believe him. He works hard.”

They paused, listening to the sounds of the wind blowing the leaves of the scraggly parking lot trees around and of Nyx exhaling.  Aranea looked over at Noctis.

“You hear anything about Dr. Scientia?”

“Still hasn't woken up, that's all I know.”

“Liar. Everyone knows that.” Her eyes narrowed, and he looked straight back at her through dark strands.

“That's all I know _that I can tell you._  Though I will say Luna’s uptight brother is here because of the situation.”

“Yeah, you said he’s another neurosurgeon, right? Covering?”

She turned. “Nyx, don’t you know? You were here when he was brought in.”

Nyx shook his head at her. “I haven’t been assigned to ICU since then. You got any more intel, Noct?”

“ _Doctor_ Nox Fleuret,” Noctis rolled his eyes, “apparently has some subspecialty that might be relevant.”

“Might be?” Nyx cocked his head.

“They're still watching him. He's stable, but unconscious - they're still looking at scans and stuff.” Noctis shrugged.

“Man, I really hope he's okay.” Prompto's voice was soft, and he leaned his elbows onto his knees.

In a rare physical show of affection during working hours, Noctis squeezed Prompto's shoulder. “Me too, dude. Me too.”

* * *

Gladio sighed and fitted himself into a molded plastic chair. There was a battered, creased magazine full of inane articles about stupid celebrities on the table, and he picked it up. He leafed through the pages without really seeing any of the words. He let out a frustrated breath, tossed it back onto the table and leaned back, feeling the flimsy chair creak behind him.

Iris spotted him on her way to grab a granola bar after making her rounds. She plopped down in the chair next to him and gave him a knowing pat in companionable silence. She pointed at one of the most ridiculous celebrity photos and snorted, and Gladio gave her a faint smile.

Iris sat for a moment, watching Gladio close his eyes briefly. A muscle at his jaw twitched.

The pager at her hip went off, and she startled and peered down at it. “I'm sorry, Gladdy, I gotta go.  Are you gonna be okay?”

“Yeah.” He looked down and cleared his throat.  “Just need a minute, you know?”

The expression in Gladio’s amber eyes pulled at her heart, and Iris squeezed his arm; her short, strong fingers pressed firmly into the intricate lines inked into his skin.  “Yeah. I do. Okay. Love you. Call me tonight, okay?”

“Yeah. Love you too.” He nodded. Gladio never stopped feeling proud of his little sister in her white coat. Wasn’t a great time to get even more emotional, though. He steeled himself to get back to work, hoping for an uneventful rest of his shift.

“Hey, I almost forgot. Go see Noctis, okay?  He asked me to tell you to check in with him. Some kind of staffing rotation thing.”

Gladio nodded at Iris, and she rushed off at her usual fast walk, fluffing her short brown hair back into place as she went.

* * *

“.... It was unbelievable. All that came out of one person!”  Prompto's mouth was full of food and he was pointing for emphasis as he proceeded to finish recounting his latest and most disgusting misadventure.  Cindy sat across from him, eyeing her own lunch with a certain amount of distaste. She set her fork down.

“Sweetie, I work in the lab for a reason. My stomach can't handle this nonsense. That is just _gross."_  Short honey-blonde curls bobbed as she shook her head in revulsion.

“Prom, are you ruining lunches again?” Noctis swung around the edge of the table and set his tray down.

“Ooo, are those nuggets? Gimme.” He reached out for Noct’s tray, only to have his hand slapped away.

“Get your own.” Noctis’ affectionate smile and laugh belied any real annoyance. “I did get you a cookie though.” He handed over a still-warm chocolate chip cookie from under the heat lamps.

“My hero.” Prompto sighed with happiness around a gooey bite.

“After telling that story, I cannot believe you can eat _that_.” Cindy shuddered and took a deep breath, picking up her fork again.

“Hey, how’s your grandpa doing?” Noctis gestured at Cindy with a nugget.  “Knee replacement, right?” He took a bite.

“Oh, Paw-paw’s doing fine, but stubborn as all get out. I told him he needed to listen to the nurses, but you’ve met him. That man wouldn’t listen to Bahamut if he took him a mind not to.” She waved her fork.

“Hmmmm, intransigent.” Prompto nodded sagely, taking another bite of cookie.

Noctis burst out laughing.  “What the heck, dude?”

“It’s on my word-a-day calendar. Don’t mock me. I’m improving my vocabulary.” Prompto sat up straighter and ruffled a bit, but relaxed under Noctis’ broad grin.

* * *

Gladio walked up to the empty desk. He peered around the corner, and saw Noctis replacing a file on one of the shelves.  “Hey, Noct. How’s it going? Iris said you wanted to see me?”

“Hey Gladio. Yep, I gotcha. Just a sec.” Noctis checked the label on the side of the file, double checked the placement, and slid the file in.  He walked back over to the desk and picked up a binder, flipping it open. “I need some coverage over here - ICU in particular. You okay picking up some shifts?”

“Sure. They gonna authorize overtime?”

Noctis nodded. “Yeah, probably. We’re kinda thin.”

“Awesome. Thanks.” Gladio smiled at him.

“No problem. I'll get you a new schedule tomorrow, and one of the RNs on duty will give you the low down. I think I’m gonna put you over there with…” he studied the sheet inside the binder, “Nyx Ulric. You met him?”

Gladio shook his head.

“Good guy, you’ll get along. Tomorrow at six?” He started writing in the binder, looking up at Gladio for confirmation.

“Yeah, that’s good. Peds knows about this, right?”

“Calling them now, big guy.”

“Thanks, desktator.” Gladio headed back down the hall with a mock salute.

Noctis laughed at the ridiculous nickname and waved at Gladio, phone already pressed to his ear.

* * *

“Look, I’ve heard it all, sir.  Get up and prove to me you can move that knee.”  Aranea’s brusque voice echoed around the partially open door.

“I don’t have to! Yer gonna have to take my word for it.”  The patient’s voice was surly and ornery, and Prompto and Gladio slowed to a stop from different directions outside the door, amused by the interchange.

“Mr. Sophiar, you are not leaving here until I see you bend that knee ninety degrees, and you know it.” The teasing emphasis on the first two words made Prompto snicker.

Gladio turned to Prompto, crossing his arms and grinning.  “He’s gonna end up discharged AMA, isn’t he?”

Prompto smirked and gestured toward the door.  “Nope, Aranea gets ‘em every time. Just wait.”

Gladio shot him a skeptical look, one substantial eyebrow raised.  

“No, really.  I give it one week.  If it takes longer than that, I’ll buy you lunch, - what was your name again?” Gladio was an unfamiliar sight in this hall, and not just because he was a massively muscled man, with fully tattooed arms, wearing scrubs with little moogles on them.

“Gladio.  I’m usually in the children’s wing, just gonna be covering some shifts over here every once in a while.”

“Prompto.  I’m always here.” They shook hands, and Gladio was about to comment on Prompto’s own detailed tattoo sleeves, but he was cut off by a crotchety yell from inside the room.

“Get outta here!”

“Yell all you want. I’ll be back for your exercises at three o’clock.”  Aranea sailed out of the room, completely unruffled. She tapped Prompto on the nose with her pen and breezed past. “Time to see what messes the children have made in the PT wing without me.” Her silvery ponytail bounced behind her.

Gladio laughed and turned back to Prompto. “Hey, I gotta get back. I’ll see you around though.  And you will definitely owe me lunch. That guy is _not_ coming around.”

Prompto shook his head and grinned, then waved a hand.  “See ya.”

* * *

Nyx took a long drag off the cigarette in his hand and exhaled, looking up at the sky.  “Any updates on Scientia?”

Crowe wrinkled her nose, resisting the urge to bat the cigarette out of Nyx’s fingers.  “Nope. No better, but no worse.”

“You did amazing work though, as always, Dr. Altius.”

“You too.” She nodded seriously, fading into a frown as Nyx took another deep drag.

She paused. “You still waking up at night?”  He knew what she meant. They’d been on active duty together, and had both experienced panic attacks and nightmares upon their return.

“Some. You?”  He flicked an ash.

“Yeah, a little. I’m doing ok though. _Some_ of us keep our appointments with Dr. Izunia.”

“Hey, peeking at my file is an abuse of your privileges, and you know it.”

She smiled and patted his arm as she walked back inside.  “I was bluffing, Ulric, and you fell for it. Take care of yourself, okay?”

“So many doctors.  So many orders. I’ll do my best, Crowe.”  Nyx’s smile was lopsided, and he ran a hand through his hair.  He took another long, contemplative drag before stubbing out the butt and following her inside.

* * *

The main office for the head of the physical therapy department was dark and appeared empty through the frosted glass.  But when Dr. Amicitia’s assistant tried the door, intending to leave the papers on his desk, it was locked. Odd. He was definitely here today.  Talcott shrugged, and walked off to have the doctor paged.

“We can’t,” Cor gasped, “keep doing this, Clarus.”  He sat on the floor, leaned against the large, heavy desk.  “It’s highly inappropriate at best, and a violation of hospital policy at worst.”  He caught his breath, looking up at the older man, who was pulling his shirt back on.  “Given that you directly supervise me.”

Clarus poked his head out and shot a sideways smile, mischievous eyes meeting Cor’s exasperated ones.  “I don’t care if you don’t.”

Cor smiled despite himself, dropping his head back to the solid wood surface.  “You’re impossible.”

A deep chuckle responded. “Come on, time to get to Reggie’s onboarding meeting. He’s going to want to hear all about how you’re getting along in the department.”

Cor smirked and stood up. “You’ll probably want to have that shirt on right side out, then.”

**Author's Note:**

> So, so many thanks to [@swordliliesandebony](https://archiveofourown.org/users/swordliliesandebony/pseuds/swordliliesandebony) for reading this and giving me amazing substantive feedback. (All comma abuses and similar quality errors are mine and mine alone.) Her writing is beautiful, and you should check it out!


End file.
